Rutherford: City not required to annex any property

They called it the “d-word” half-jokingly, half seriously.

D as in Density: the ratio of how many homes per acre will be built on a certain property. That also leads to the “t-word,” as in traffic, adding to the number of cars on the road as the number of homes on a given property escalates.

At a workshop Tuesday night, the City Council overall declined to weigh in on whether or not the proposed annexations by John Wieland Homes and Levitt and Sons hit the right density mark.

Councilman Stuart Kourajian wasn’t shy about making his feelings known, however.

“That is still a lot houses on there,” Kourajian said, referring to conceptual design schematics of both proposed subdivisions.

Councilwoman Judi-ann Rutherford noted that the number of families projected for new subdivisions affects local schools and all the proposed homes will affect how fire, police and other services are provided by the city if council chooses to annex the property, which she said is not a given.

“There’s no requirement that we do it,” she said. “So I think everybody on council will take a hard look at that on what this does for the city. ... Some look at it as additional tax income. Some look at it as a cost to the city.”

Wieland is seeking to annex its 380-acre parcel to build 495 single family detached homes on a tract that preserves more than 160 acres of open space, according to Wieland vice president Dan Fields. Wieland calls its project “Connector Village,” a reference to the extension of MacDuff Parkway to connect Ga. Highway 74, which Wieland and Levitt will pay for at no cost to the city, including the big-ticket item: a bridge over the CSX railroad tracks.

Levitt wants to build 699 single family homes on its 403 acres, while preserving more than 220 acres of open space. Levitt’s “Seasons at Peachtree City” project will be limited to active adults only.

Both developers’ open space figures include land along Line Creek that’s in wetland areas and thus is not developable. Of Wieland’s amount, only 41 of the acres is actually developable; Levitt’s plan contains about 100 acres of open space that could potentially be built on.

The plans have evolved since their first presentation to the city’s Planning Commission, several commissioners said.

“Going from what we had to start with, to what we have now, is super good,” noted Planning Commissioner Theo Scott.

Wieland’s plan includes eight “pocket” parks aimed for use of nearby residents and a “town center” which would feature a large-size park area across MacDuff Parkway from a “neighborhood retail center.”

The home prices will range from the $200,000 to $500,000 range, Fields said. The size of the homes would range from 2,500 to 4,500 square feet, he added. Lot sizes run from a quarter-acre on up, with the higher density lots nearest the eastern side of the property.

The company’s current design puts the homes well off of Line Creek, and the Levitt plan has a similar feature. The area between the lots and the creek will be deeded to the city as greenbelt so it cannot be disturbed, Fields said.

A tree survey has been conducted of the property so the most significant trees can be saved, Fields said. He admitted Wieland could have done a better job of protecting such trees in its most recent Centennial subdivision, which is directly to the south of the property Wieland wants annexed.

Fields said there would be a sidewalk on one side and a cart path on the other side of MacDuff Parkway that will link south to the Centennial subdivision and north to the Seasons at Peachtree City subdivision proposed by Levitt and Sons.

Rutherford said it is important to have a buffer between MacDuff and the cart path so golf carts’ headlights don’t confuse motorists on the road.

A Wieland employee said the path would be about 40 feet or so off the roadway.

As for the proposed parallel parking along MacDuff, Fields said that would help calm traffic but be designed to stop well short of intersections so there won’t be a traffic hazard. The parallel parking would be located near the proposed “town center”

Although Wieland’s offer to build multi-purpose sports fields disappeared when Council rebuffed a request to consider 399 townhomes for an adjacent parcel that’s in the city limits, Fields said the company will look at helping the city expand its offering of soccer fields and ballfields.

Kathryn Zickert, representing Levitt, said the company made a host of changes to its plan based on feedback from the city, including the addition of a second entrance to the subdivision and reducing the number of cul-de-sacs. The company also was asked to provide a different mix of housing other than rows of single-family detached, and so it decided to offer a “quad” concept with four detached homes sharing a single courtyard.

Zickert said the company was willing to “slow down” the process so it could insure it will keep all the promises it makes to the city. Her concern was how the proposed impact fees will cut into Levitt’s ability to meet those promises.

The company will look into how it can partner with The Gathering Place senior center to provide more room for senior activities for all city residents, Zickert said.

The city has formed an impact fee committee to look into the matter and once their work is done that recommendation will be forwarded to the council for a final decision.

Levitt is projecting a 18-24 month build-out period for its subdivision, which will be limited to those 55 and older. Despite the age limit, the company is taking up another city suggestion to build a playground for the subdivision for the use of visiting grandchildren.

Levitt also wants to build a walking trail along the property lines abutting Line Creek, but local environmentalist Dennis Chase said the land near the creek gets so damp that might not be possible.

Levitt also has removed the concept of gating the community, which was frowned upon by some council members at a previous meeting.

Resident Linda Wojcik said she was concerned whether the city will gain anything from annexing the property, particularly if the central park on Wieland’s tract isn’t deeded to the city for use by all city residents.

The city was designed to have recreation opportunities for all residents, “Not ‘this is mine, or this is mine, and you get out,’” Wojcik said.

Dana Kinser said the main benefit to the city will be the extension of MacDuff Parkway to Ga. Highway 74, which will provide a second entrance for residents who currently live off MacDuff Parkway. Kinser also said he felt the development should occur according to the city’s standards, not the county’s.

Resident Phyllis Aguayo said the proposals didn’t fit with the city’s land use plan, which calls for lower density towards the outskirts of the city.

Aguayo also said that the previous owner of the Levitt tract had cut a significant amount of trees on the property, so there’s little left to save on that parcel.

“They really blasted everything out of there,” Chase said.

Zickert agreed that the company would have to plant more trees to make up for that.

Aguayo also noted that the county successfully defended a legal challenge to the current zoning of minimum lot sizes of two acres, which would result in far fewer homes and much less traffic on the site. She also asked about the “Peach Pit,” an informal dump site that’s near Wieland’s tract.

Fields said the Peach Pit is actually on the adjacent parcel that’s in the city limits and was proposed for the townhome development. He said the dump had been studied and it was determined that it only consists of construction debris such as wood and concrete with no other chemicals present.